Who Would've Thought?
by Chaos Of Flames
Summary: Years after the war Hermione is working as an Auror and events have left her with Draco Malfoy as a partner.  On their latest raid, can they come out intact or will the last of the Death Eaters finally get their revenge? AU OOC Rated M for slight lemon


**Hello my lovelies, I have another for you :) This one will be my first attempt at smut, and it is a very light smut, as in not hardcore at all...I must admit that I am minorly afraid of the flames I might get, but my penname is not Chaos of Flames for nothing! So please, read and review because you love me :) Or because you have nothing better to do, that one works too.  
>Disclaimer: As always, this belongs to the genius of J.K. She is the reason I am plagued by these plot bunnies, and I make no money...<br>Now on with it!**

Sometimes life takes us places that we would never suspect; I can attest to this myself. I never expected to be a witch. I never expected to be a main strategist in a war that tore apart my world. I never expected to go into healing and fail. I never expected to train as an Auror and fly through the ranks. I never expected to be partnered with Draco Malfoy later. And I never, never, never expected to end up in his bed...who would've thought?

"Granger! Malfoy! My office, you have a new assignment," Kingsley called out.

"Come on, Granger. Let's see what new bad guys I can beat you in catching today," Malfoy smirked at me. I wonder if he knows how to smile without smirking.

"You can't beat me, Malfoy, we're partners. This is a team effort," I repeated for what seemed to be the thousandth time.

"You just say that because you can never outshine me now," he called over his shoulder.

I rolled my eyes before getting up from my desk and walking to Kingsley's office. Kingsley was a great man, amazing Auror, but I think that partnering me with Draco Malfoy was his worst idea ever. I was partnered with a fairly capable boy before, Anderson was his name; but there was a huge extortion scandal along with a few other lovely illegal things, so there was a partner shuffle. We took surveys and went to interviews in hopes of being matched with the "Perfect Partner," and I ended up with Malfoy, who would've thought? Despite my pleas, Kingsley remained steadfast in his choice, much to my dismay.

I walked in and sat in the chair next to Malfoy, "Good, you're both here now. We have located another sect of leftover Death Eaters. Their headquarters are situated in a Muggle town. We need the two of you to do some reconnaissance. I repeat RECONNAISSANCE. Do not go in there wands blazing and get yourselves killed. Collect enough information for the department to put together a successful raid. Be careful, be discreet, and come back in one piece," he finished sternly.

"Yessir," we answered in unison.

"You'll find a portkey on Granger's desk that will take you to your location, dismissed."

We stood silently and left, I could practically feel Malfoy seething next to me. From the few months we had been working together, I had gathered that he absolutely abhorred recon. He thought it to be "below his skill level" or some other bollocks. Personally, I was fine not having to dodge curses everyday of my life. I was actually quite adept at recon, after I changed my hairstyle from the monster that everyone in the UK could recognize.

"Alright Granger, let's get this over with," Malfoy said, interrupting my thoughts, "Maybe after we get back they'll put me on an assignment suitable to my ability," he sniffed; I just rolled my eyes again.

"So what are we doing this time, Malfoy? Couple looking for an apartment? Brother and sister looking for their parents lost dog?" I began going through the list of roles we had played before.

"How about a pair of lovers looking for a place to do some unmentionable things to each other?" He purred behind me.

Suddenly the small space between our desks seemed entirely too enclosed for my liking. He had been playing this new game with me for about two weeks now. Probably wanted to see how many sexual advances I could take before I exploded. Little did he know I was no blushing virgin, I would stick out his game, maybe see if I could make him explode in turn. Experienced or not, though, it would have been foolish not to admit that he had an effect on me. His voice dripping with hunger; it made me slowly heat up all over, settling in my core and leaving me aching with an uncontrollable desire to jump him. And Auror training had not been unkind to him; he had changed from the sniveling excuse of life as a boy into the solid, strong, and dependable man that was my partner. Many of my old friends thought me crazy, but I trusted him with my life; I knew deep in my soul that he would never betray me or abandon me in the field, and that only added to his sex appeal.

In an attempt to cover the effect he had on me, I tried to reply as nonchalantly as possible, "Alright, that's fine by me."

I found the portkey in the form of a gold coin laying on my desk, "Found the portkey, are you ready?"

"Yeah," he shrugged.

Was that disappointment in his voice? No, couldn't be. Before I could contemplate anymore on the matter, he interrupted my thoughts again, "On three then, one, two, three."

I felt the familiar pull behind my naval before I closed my eyes to prevent the motion sickness I was so prone to after traveling by portkey. My feet hit the ground a little harder than I was prepared for and I staggered. I expected to get a face full of dirt when I was caught by a pair of rather muscular arms, and pulled into a rather muscular chest that smelled rather good. I looked up and found myself inches from Malfoy's face. It must have been my imagination, but for a second it seemed as though he was looking at me in a pleading manner, with his head tilted just the right way, and his lips parted in anticipation. Merlin, I needed some time away from the Ministry.

I pulled back suddenly, afraid of my body's reaction to his presence, "Well, then. Thanks, Malfoy. Umm...shall we?"

I saw what looked like a flash of disappointment again, but it was only there for a moment; I couldn't be sure. There was no way that Draco would have any interest in me, the Plain Jane. Wait, when did he become Draco? I definitely need a vacation.

Now that I was done berating myself in my head I turned to survey my surroundings. It was a quaint little Muggle suburb on the outskirts of a larger city, I wasn't sure where though.

"I know this place," Dra-, Malfoy said.

"How?" I asked curiously, as it was odd that he would recognize it before I would.

"I was here once as a Death Eater," he said quietly, and I motioned for him to go on. I knew this was a touchy subject for both of us.

"I was collecting a package for the Dark Lord from another Death Eater. This is one of the places Dolohov prefers to hide."

I felt myself breathe sharply. Dolohov had been on the run for years and had always just eluded the Ministry. I couldn't help but hold a personal vendetta against him. After all, he gave me the horrible scar that starts at my shoulder, runs down my chest, and ends at my opposite hip. Because of Dolohov I have never felt comfortable being intimate with anyone, afraid that they would judge me for my scar. With Ron, he was always uncomfortable with the reminder of the battles we faced. With Viktor, he thought that it was an unfortunate mark, tainting my body and making it unacceptable.

"Do you know of any place that would be a would be a good starting point for our search?" I asked slowly, trying to reign in the sudden anger I felt.

"Yes, there's an abandoned warehouse not far from here that he's known to frequent. If he is gathering followers, then he would probably have them meet him there," he responded, watching my reaction.

I carefully schooled my features before saying anything, "Lead the way then."

He nodded stiffly, "This way," and he headed down a dark side street.

Malfoy led me down a maze of back alleys. I would never have been able to find my way back had I been alone. As we walked I allowed my mind to wander back to my current dilemma, in the form of the man walking a few paces in front of me. I knew he was not the same boy who had taunted me during our school years, so why was I so uneasy? The idea of him possibly being interested in my was just so far beyond my comprehension. I mean, why would a man such as Malfoy be interested in a simple Ministry Auror like myself? I knew there was still a large portion of the Malfoy fortune left intact and that he only worked for the Ministry in order to redeem himself for past mistakes; in reality, he could have any woman he wanted at the snap of his fingers, well any woman except me. Money meant little to me in contrast with all the other things that made a man worth pursuing.

Suddenly, a thought came to me that nearly stopped me in my tracks. I wanted him to be interested in a simple Ministry Auror like myself, well me specifically. I wanted him to notice me. This explained all my actions in the past month; the extra attention I paid to my wardrobe, the sudden lack of interest in other men, and the flirting that had begun two weeks ago. I had dropped hints subconsciously that he had picked up on, and now I was sending the complete opposite signals. No wonder he had looked disappointed that last two times I was near him! He was waiting for something I was not consciously aware of. Well, I would just have to resolve this matter. I was going to not only make sure that he noticed me, but make sure he knew that I had noticed him as well; right after I exacted revenge on Dolohov.

Now there was a pleasant thought; one more dead Death Eater. He would pay for all that he had done, reconnaissance or not, Dolohov would not see the next sunset.

I was so deep in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed that Malfoy had stopped walking and I plowed right into him, "Oof!"

"You back now, Granger? Thought I'd lost you for a second there," he smirked at me over his shoulder.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I huffed, straightening my robes out.

"Mhm," I could hear just hear him rolling his eyes before he turned to face me, "This is the warehouse; left corner."

I looked over the place critically for a second, "Fitting."

It was a ramshackle old building, there were more broken windows than whole ones. It looked as if the wind blew hard enough it would knock the building over.

"It's nicer from the inside," Malfoy said simply, shrugging.

"I'll talk your word for it," I smiled at him, he blinked at me, surprised.

"Uh," he shook his head, "Shall we?"

I nodded before I changed into my Animagus form and Malfoy followed suit. His form was as beautiful and fierce as Malfoy was in person, a falcon with grey eyes. My form was no where near as striking, but I think that it fit me just as well. I was a black cat, Minerva would have been proud, with a line of fur missing down its belly, following the line of my scar. The bird regarded me cooly and I tilted my head to one side, flicking my tail in return, then he took flight to work the overview. I watched him fly for a second, feeling slightly jealous, before I walked to the warehouse and jumped up to climb in a broken window.

I walked a few steps toward the first door I saw until I heard noises from a room down a right passage. My desire for vengeance clouding my logical mind, I wandered silently towards the warehouse's main room. I slipped in through a door that was left cracked and faced about twenty men. I only recognized Dolohov at first glance; it was frightening to see the influence he seemed to have over so many men before the Ministry even got wind of the sect. My heightened senses only helped so much; in order to hear what was going on I needed to get closer. I looked around and saw a beam that had fallen, that would work. Moments like these made me grateful that I was a black cat. I could move a little more freely and I only looked like a shadow.

In order to reach the beam I first had to hop up on a table. I kept close to the wall and jumped before thinking about what might be up on the table. I landed gracefully, but there was nothing I could do to stop the bottle from rolling off the table and shattering on the floor. I froze and prayed that this wouldn't be my last assignment.

All twenty of the wizards spun, wands out, to face the table. I kept still, just looking at the men in front of me, waiting for the flash of green that would signal my end.

"It's just a cat, put your wands away before some Muggle kid looks in the windows. We are trying to not draw attention to ourselves," Dolohov said, slipping his wand up his sleeve.

Everyone in the group visibly relaxed before he spoke again, "Now, are all assembled?"

What I assumed to be his second in command answered, "Yes sir, all are accounted for."

"Excellent," he said quietly, "We will have our revenge on the Wizarding World. Those who have taken everything from us will feel our fury, especially that Mudblood bitch that this world has come to idolize. With her taken out of the picture, no Mudblood will be willing to step into a position they don't deserve again."

Noises of approval ran through the group; wait, Mudblood bitch? Isn't that what all the Death Eaters called me? I didn't even know most of the men here; how could they all want revenge on me?

Actually, now that I really look at them, they're all relatives of people that I helped put in Azkaban, or that I've helped kill. This is so not good. I planned to leave back out the way I came to meet Malfoy and return to headquarters, but nothing ever goes the way I plan. Dolohov walked over to the table that I was sitting on and picked me up, he even started to pet me.

"Put that down, sir! It may have fleas or carry some type of disease. For all we know, it could be the familiar of a Ministry worker," a young man who looked suspiciously like Fenrir Greyback spoke up; I wonder if lycanthropy is hereditary.

"Quiet Greyback," I was right, " It's just a cat, and I could use some company. You don't know what it's like to have to hide from the Ministry every waking minute of everyday yet," he retorted, scratching behind my ears. It took all of my being to purr and lean towards his hand when all I wanted was to crawl out of my skin. He held me up and saw the scar that ran down my underbelly. I unconsciously held my breath, waiting for him to put two and two together.

"A strong companion," he said to himself as he ran his finger along the bare line, and I exhaled in relief.

"What's the matter Dolohov? Not enough pussy in your life right now?" A man in the corner barked out; that voice, that was a Lestrange! Two of the last remaining Death Eaters here, this would please Kingsley.

Movement at the window caught my attention and I looked over to see a falcon sitting on the sill. He took in my situation and shook his head back and forth once. He was not happy with me right now.

We had made up a language of movements for when we were in our Animagus forms, and that movement meant "what the hell," so I made my reply of "I don't know" with the twitch of my ear and he left the window to do Merlin knows what.

"At least let me check the cat out," the younger Greyback pleaded.

"Later," Dolohov said in a tone that ended the discussion.

Suddenly I smelled the cologne that Dra-, Malf-, whatever I'm going to call him in my head, had been wearing earlier. Merlin, he came in to get me out of this predicament. The Lestrange jumped out of the shadows, wand drawn; Rodolphus

"Someone uninvited has joined us, Dolohov," he said slowly.

"Let's give them a welcome worthy of Death Eaters such as ourselves," Dolohov grinned at him.

He rose and slipped his wand out of his sleeve, while still keeping my in his grasp. Well, bollocks; Kingsley was going to be furious. They walked out into the hall I came in and I saw Malfoy calmly standing before the group of twenty with his wand at the ready.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Mr. Malfoy, prodigy turned traitor," Dolohov said coldly.

"Yes, it's so nice to see you again after all this time. You only look slightly more insane, excellent job," Malfoy smirked.

"Where's your little Mudblood partner? Too scared to face me, or is she waiting for you back at the Manor; tied to the bed?" He sneered.

Draco's nostrils flared in anger, but he didn't reply so I picked this as my moment to give away my position. I bit the hand that was supporting me and Dolohov dropped me.

"Ouch, damn cat!" I landed gracefully before I ran to Draco.

As I turned to face the Death Eater I changed back and pulled out my wand.

"I'm right here. You should listen to him a little more often," I motioned towards the younger Greyback.

"Why you dirty little Mudblood," he growled, "They must not leave this town alive, I don't care if you have to burn the whole thing to the ground!"

I felt Draco grab my waist and jump out the closest window. He rolled to take most of the impact. As soon as we hit the ground he was pulling me to my feet.

"Run!" he yelled, dragging me behind him.

"What were you thinking? There was no need to go into the warehouse! If you would have just called for reinforcements it would have been fine!" I started yelling as I struggled to keep up with his long strides.

"What was I thinking? What were you thinking? As soon as Greyback figured out that you weren't a real cat he was going to Avada you on the spot! How could you let him put his hands all over you like that?" He shouted back.

"Oh, like that was my plan. It seems that things just got a little out of hand for a second. It happens, in fact it happens a lot! I seem to always be running through some God-forsaken, Muggle town from a band of Death Eaters that want to kill me!" I screamed.

Suddenly, he turned down a small alley and I almost ran into the wall trying to follow him. He took a couple more sharp turns before stopping suddenly in a doorway. He pulled me flush against him.

"Don't move," he whispered fiercely.

He must have cast a silent Disillusionment charm because moments later the group of Death Eaters ran by without so much as a glance in our direction. Even though it seemed as though we were out of harm's way for the moment, Draco did not let go of me as I expected him to. He stayed perfectly still except for his harsh breathing. I assume he was waiting to make sure there were no stragglers. While he listened intently to our surroundings I noticed a few things about our position.

Draco had one arm securely around my waist and the other across my the front of my shoulders. It was strangely comforting; the way that I fit against him.

"I think that we're safe for the moment," he breathed in my ear.

"What do you suggest for our next move?" I whispered back, "You know some of these men; you would be better at guessing their behaviour than I."

"They are going to scour the entire town for us, and any unnecessary magic will be like a beacon to our position," he replied.

"So, are we going to stand here until Kingsley decides that we've been gone long enough to mean that we're in trouble?"

"No, that would take days. We-" he cut off sharply.

"They can't have gone far. We need only bide our time until we feel a magic signature, and then we have them," Dolohov walked back into view with Greyback following close behind.

"Yes, it seems as though we shall be getting the revenge you planned for sooner than," he stopped mid-sentence and sniffed the air around him.

_Oh, Merlin, it is hereditary. He can smell the two of us standing here. We're going to die in this alley, and I'm not going to die quickly either_. I was starting to panic and Draco's arms tightened around me as though he could hear what was running through my head. Suddenly I felt a presence at the back of my mind. I slammed my mental shields up until I realized that it was Draco trying to communicate with me. He was an accomplished Legilimens because of his godfather, Snape, and I eased the shields back down to allow him access.

_Calm down, Hermione. They will not have you; I will not let them. Now, as soon as I say, you are going to run to the nearest building and discreetly send your Patronus to Kingsley alerting him to our situation and asking for backup. Do. Not. Wait. For. Me. I will give you the time you need to escape. Now go._

"_Bombarda_!" He yelled, causing the opposite wall of the alley to explode.

I ran for my life; I knew better than to go against any direction that Draco gave me in battle. As soon as I turned around the corner I saw another people walking on a main street. I sprinted for it and ran into the first shop I saw and then into the loo.

I summoned the best memory I could come up with, the department cocktail party at Malfoy Manor. Draco had helped to quell the lasting damage on my psyche that Bellatrix's torture had left. When the silver began to form a shape I almost lost the concentration I had on the spell. My Patronus was not the otter it had been for years, it was a dragon. I stared at it dumbly for a moment and it stared back at me with its head cocked to the side awaiting the message.

I shook myself mentally, "Deliver to Kingsley as fast as possible. Agents Granger and Malfoy in danger. Need back up immediately. Malfoy captured, Granger going in after him. Death Eater sect: 20 strong. Help."

I sent it away before running out of the store and back the way I came. When I returned to the alley, there was no trace of what went on just minutes ago. I have no hope of finding the warehouse on my own and I faltered in my steps. I suddenly came up with an idea. I picture the warehouse and used a simple "Point Me" spell. My wand spins in my hand before settling on a direction and I take off running that way.

I was closer to the warehouse than I believed, and came upon it within minutes. I slowed to a walk before stopping outside of the broken window Draco pulled us through. I couldn't very well charge in without being Avada'd immediately. But, every moment I spent trying to come up with a feasible plan was another moment that Draco was being tortured. Shaking my head once at the sheer stupidity of what I intended, I dove in the window and rolled to lessen the impact while drawing my wand. There was no one there; strange.

I snuck to the door I went through earlier and hovered at the entrance. I saw all twenty of the Death Eaters in a loose circle. In the center was Draco with his hands bound magically behind his back. He was bleeding from a cut above his eyebrow and the corner of his mouth. His arm was bent at an unnatural angle and I could hear him struggling to breathe through what I believe to be cracked ribs. I struggle to contain the outpouring of emotions; emotions and battle do not mix.

"How much longer do you think that your Mudblood whore will be able to stay away, Draco?" Lestrange mocked.

Draco responded by spitting a mouth-full of blood at him.

"Or is it possible that she has abandoned you, it wouldn't be above her kind," he continued, unfazed.

I watched in horror as he walked up to Draco and kicked him in the stomach.

"You're not as much fun to torment as you used to be, young Draco," Dolohov remarked from the corner, "Perhaps working with Mudbloods and Blood Traitors has made you soft."

"Well, let's see," Lestrange said excitedly, "_Crucio_!"

I sucked in a breath sharply as Draco writhed on the floor. Through all the pain of the curse, he didn't cry out once and I immediately felt an intense surge of admiration. After what seemed like forever, Lestrange lifted the curse and I exhaled the breath I didn't know I was holding. I couldn't wait for the reinforcements; I didn't know how long Draco would last under torture. And eventually, they would grow tired of waiting and just kill him.

I took a breath to collect myself; I had one shot for this spell to work, and there was a good chance that it would only partially work. That was the unfortunate part of enhancing spells; it didn't always work the way you intended it too.

I burst through the door, "_Pondus Stupefy!_"

I was right; it ended up affecting all but three of the Death Eaters: Dolohov, Lestrange, and Greyback. Three against one isn't as bad as twenty against one I suppose. Without missing a beat I disarmed Greyback and Stupefied him as well, down to two. Lestrange sent a badly aimed hex my way, I suppose Azkaban does that to someone. I dodged it easily and sent a Reducto his way, throwing him into the wall and out of my way. I added an _Incarcerous_, just to be safe Now it was just me and Dolohov.

"Well, well, your little Mudblood came through after all," he laughed menacingly, and I turned to see him with his wand to Draco's throat.

I leveled my wand at his head anyway, and we stood at a stalemate for a few minutes. He had the upper hand for the moment, but if I knew Draco at all then it wouldn't be that way for long.

"Dolohov," I started.

His nostrils flared, "You dare address me? Insolent Mudblood bitch."

I smirked at him, "I believe I've heard that one before, you'll have to come up with some new material sometime soon."

"As if I would waste my time on you," he sneered.

"It would seem that you've wasted an awful lot of your time on me considering that you created this group with revenge against me in mind," I countered.

He opened his mouth to retort but I cut him off, "Don't even try to deny it; I was here, remember? Meow."

He bared his teeth at me; good, baiting him seems to be working. If I can get a rise out of him there's a possibility that I can turn the tables on this situation. All I need is for Draco to regain consciousness and to figure out where his wand is. I scan the room with my peripherals; it would be suicide to take my eyes completely off Dolohov.

"I haven't forgotten. You will pay for that deception. Maybe I'll give you another mark on that lovely body of yours," he eyed me while I repressed a shudder.

"Ha, as if I'd give you the opportunity," I shot back, venom dripping from my words.

"Ah, it looks as if I touched a nerve. You know I never got to see my handiwork from all those years ago. If you show me I'll let your boyfriend go," he continued, "I'm sure that if you're good enough for Malfoy here, then you'll do for me."

I hesitated for a moment, but Draco's hoarse voice brought me back to reality, "Don't listen to him Granger, he'll just kill both of us."

"_Silencio_. I don't need you cutting in on my chance to get some Malfoy," Dolohov jabbed the wand sharply into the side of Draco's neck.

"This is between the two of us, Dolohov. Let him go," I said, drawing his attention back to me.

"And give up my advantage? I don't think so," he chuckled lowly, "Now, drop your wand or I kill him."

I thought for a moment. I excelled at wandless magic, so it wouldn't really matter if I had my wand or not. Of course, that wasn't a fact that I paraded around for the world to see. I dropped my wand and put my hands up, palms facing him.

"Now kick it away from yourself," he ordered.

I lightly kicked my wand with the toe of my boot looking pointedly at Draco. I didn't know where his wand was and if he could get to it I wanted him to use my wand. I could only hope that he would understand my intent.

"That's a good girl," Dolohov purred and dropped Draco.

He advanced toward me with a predatory grace. It seems that he had eluded the Ministry for so long not because of luck, but because he was that good. He was dangerous and I had underestimated him, blinded my need for revenge. I might be in over my head.

With every step he took I knew that tonight one of the two of us would not be leaving this building alive. I was going to make sure that I would be walking out under my own power. I silently cut the bonds that were holding Draco's hands; if he was surprised, he didn't let it show.

"You came back to me, my pet," Dolohov said, taking one of my curls and wrapping around his finger.

I looked at him steadily, not sure how to respond to that statement. His pet? I fear that the night in the Department of Mystery in the Ministry in fifth year left him with an unhealthy obsession of me. That made him twice as dangerous; not only was he obsessed with me, he also seemed to be in control of his obsession.

I inhaled sharply as I realized something: I was obsessed as well. That's why I was sent on this mission, I was bait. The whole intention was never to gather information for a strike team but to dangle the proverbial carrot, and I was the carrot. It didn't take years working in the Ministry to learn how to read between the lines, and when, if, I returned, someone was going to feel the wrath of a woman scorned.

"You see? You feel the effect I'm having on you? It's the same effect you've had on me all these long years, waiting for just the right opportunity," he walked behind me, dragging his hands across my shoulder. He had misinterpreted my reaction to my realization.

I saw movement to my left and dared to turn my head under the pretense of following Dolohov's hand. Malfoy had slowly crawled over to where my wand was laying and picked it up before looking at me and nodding.

I wordlessly cast a _Wingardium Leviosa_ on a glass on the table and then canceled it, allowing

the glass to fall to the ground. It garnered the proper overreaction I was looking for in Dolohov. He jumped about a foot in the air before taking his attention off of Draco and me to investigate the broken glass.

I sent a loud thought to him. _Any ideas_?

I was relieved when he responded. _Not especially, I intended to make it up as I went along. You've got a plan, don't you_?

I laughed mentally. _Of course I do, I'm not just a pretty face. They don't call me the brightest witch of our age for nothing_.

He rolled his mind's eye. _I could have told you that. You have many other pleasing...assets. So, let's hear this brilliant plan in that pretty little head of yours_.

_It's quite simple actually, he doesn't know I can do wandless magic and he doesn't know that you have my wand. I propose a surprise attack._

_It is simple, with Dolohov so far gone mentally it might actually work too._

_Your confidence is extremely reassuring._

_Pay attention, he's talking to you._

"Are you even listening to me, Mudblood?" Dolohov snapped at me.

"I'm sorry, I was lost in the thought of you," I tried to sound sultry.

His eyes flashed and I thought I was had, but instead he replied, "Don't worry. You won't be waiting for much longer."

I resisted the urge to vomit and smiled in what I thought was a seductive manner.

_I'm going to kill this bastard for even thinking of her like that._

I blinked stupidly before I recognized that he hadn't closed his connection on my mind and he was talking to himself.

I cleared my throat once, "What exactly do you mean by that?"

Dolohov chuckled lowly, "You'll soon find out."

"I grow tired of waiting," I said in a tone that wasn't quite a whine.

As this he barked out a laugh, it was cold. I chose that moment to make the first move. I sent a silent version of the slicing hex that he had used on me so many years before. It caught him on the side of the face and he let out a yelp of surprise.

"Bitch!" He clutched his face, and I watched in satisfaction as he bled, "How did you do that?"

"Me? How could a lowly Mudblood, such as myself, do something like that?" I asked innocently.

He snarled at me before diving at me. I was so shocked that I didn't have the time to roll out of the way. He collided with me and I fell under his weight. My head hit the concrete floor and black spots dotted my vision.

"You think you're funny mocking me like that? Well, I'll be happy to show you exactly where you belong," his hand ran down my body and started to rip at waistband of my jeans.

I tried to fight him off, but he had the size advantage. There wasn't much I could do to protect myself when I was pinned with his body weight and I couldn't concentrate enough to get a spell to come to mind. Just as I was beginning to accept the fact that Dolohov was going to rape me, suddenly he wasn't on top of me anymore.

"Get your filthy hands off of her, you bastard!" Draco shouted, standing between Dolohov and me.

"Oh, defending your Mudblood whore, how touching," he spat back.

"Keep talking Dolohov, you won't make it to the Ministry alive," Draco growled.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that,"

Somehow he had managed to hold onto his wand and now pointed it at Draco, who couldn't dodge out of the way without the curse hitting me. At the last second, Dolohov changed the position of his wand. The point and his sneer were the last things I saw before my eyes rolled to the back of my head.

"_Crucio_!" I was engulfed in a white hot pain.

It seared my mind and I felt my body contorting under his ministrations. It felt as though he was peeling my skin off in strips. I fought my hardest to remain silent, but a surge in the curse ripped a hoarse scream from the back of my throat. After what felt like hours, the pain stopped and I lie on the floor breathing heavily. Even though the curse had stopped, my body continued to twitch. I used the last of my strength to pull myself to a standing position and leaned heavily on Draco.

"Is that all you've got? After Bellatrix I can hardly consider that torture," I mocked at him, hoping the crack in my voice wouldn't betray me.

"Well, I'm sure you'll change your tune after another taste. _Crucio_!" He yelled, but this time Draco was faster and pulled me out of the way of the spell.

"_SECTUMSEMPRA_!"

"_SECTUMSEMPRA_!"

Draco and I yelled at the same time. The two spells hit Dolohov and he flew backwards in to the wall behind him with a satisfying thud. We watched silently as he bled, sputtering nonsense about revenge. A few minutes later he finally fell silent and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's finally over," I said quietly.

"Yes," Draco responded while sending his Patronus to Kingsley, alerting him of our position and the status of the Death Eaters.

Just as soon as the dragon flew through the window, a group of Aurors burst through the door wands at the ready. I shook my head once at the irony of Ministry's timing. They quickly took stock of the room and turned back to stare at the two of us in awe. We must have looked like hell; my clothes were torn and I was covered in dirt while Draco still had blood running down the side of his face. It does seem a rather amazing feat that two lone Aurors could single-handedly take on twenty Death Eaters, but then again we are Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy.

"You two can't seem to do anything I tell you too. Is it really too much to ask?" Kingsley asked, smirking.

"Yessir," we replied without hesitation.

Kingsley chuckled before saying, "Go home, you look terrible. And Malfoy, you should probably get that looked at."

I turned to Draco, and gave him a small smile, "Let's get out of here."

"A brighter statement has never been uttered," he smirked at me, while I rolled my eyes at him.

I realized something suddenly, "Oh, where's your wand?"

He thought for a moment, looking around the room, "Over by the table."

I summoned it to my outstretched hand, I didn't even care that the entire room had watched me use wandless magic.

"I'll trade you," I said slyly, and we traded wands.

"Now let's go," he said turning toward the door.

Before we were even outside the building, Draco began to heal the damage on his ribs and arm. When he was sufficiently finished he looked at me sideways once before flicking his wand at me. I felt a gentle wave of magic wash over me, I looked down to see my clothes were in perfect condition and I was clean. The only difference was that my clothes were now Slytherin colours.

"Really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I see no difference," he sniffed, "I don't suppose you'd be so kind as at assist me here?"

I rolled my eyes, "Bend over a little bit, I'm not that tall."

I carefully brushed his hair from his face before examining the wound. It wasn't very deep, all I needed to do was clean it before applying a simple healing charm.

"I don't have any healing salve on me. A spell will do, but it might leave a slight scar,"I told him.

"That doesn't bother me," he replied, "It comes with the territory."

I smirked before saying, "Well, you'll have to watch out you don't end up looking like Moody."

"That will never happen, I am far too good-looking to ever allow something like that to happen," he scoffed.

I smiled, "Of course, how could I have forgotten?"

I brushed my hand through his hair once more, before placing a small kiss on his forehead without thinking.

As soon as I realized what I had done, I blushed furiously and looked away, "I'm sorry."

He cupped my face and turned my head so that I was facing him again. I looked up at him and his eyes roamed my face as though searching for something. He leaned closer to me, and I could feel his breath on my face and the brush of his hair on the side of my face.

"Don't be," he whispered before closing the distance between us.

My eyes fluttered shut and I breathed in sharply through my nose. I was shocked to say the very least and I had frozen. Draco started to pull away when I wasn't responding, but I had regained control of my limbs and leaned after him and began to move my mouth against his. The hand that wasn't on my face moved to my waist and settled at the small of my back. I slid my hands into his hair and moved so that my body was flush against his. The hand on my face proceeded to tangle in the hair at the nape of my neck and I whimpered slightly at the feeling. At the sound his arms tightened around me, and I felt his tongue swipe across my lips, begging for entrance.

I yielded my mouth to him immediately, and he deepened the kiss while I melted in his embrace. He tilted his head to allow better access and I tentatively reached out my tongue to touch his. He growled in appreciation and backed me up until I felt the wall behind me. He leaned closer to me and I heard myself mewl as I felt his hard body against mine. The need for air was starting to make my lungs burn, so reluctantly I broke the kiss to gasp for breath. This didn't seem to hinder Draco he continued to place hot open mouth kisses down the side of my neck.

He came to an extremely sensitive spot where my collarbone starts and I shivered, moaning softly. I felt him smirk against my shoulder before biting down on the same spot before soothing it with his tongue. I felt my knees go weak and for once I was glad to be backed against a wall. I used the fact that my hands were still threaded through his hair as leverage and pulled him back up to plunder his mouth. He growled again and pressed his body closer to mine. I reveled in the feel of the bricks against my back. I would probably have scratches in the morning, but right now I couldn't bring myself to care.

The need for air again overpowered the desire to continue snogging and he leaned down so his forehead rested against mine. We stayed like that for a few minutes trying to catch our breaths. When my breathing had started to return to normal, I slowly opened my eyes to find him staring back at me. His eyes were molten silver and glowing with his desire. I held his gaze while I untangled one hand from his hair and slid it down his face to stroke his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into my hand, before turning his head to place a chaste kiss to my palm. In that moment I realized he could take me anywhere right now and I would let him; in fact, I might encourage him.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that," he said softly into my hand.

"Then why did you stop?" I asked.

He turned to face me, his eyes wide in disbelief. He leaned towards me again, but this time he hesitated just centimeters from my lips. He looked at me, as though asking permission. I closed the distance between us. This kiss was different from the first; it was still passionate and filled with undisclosed desires, but it was gentle and slow.

This time when we broke for air he spoke quietly, "I want to do this the right way, but it seems you have me bewitched. I can't seem to control myself whenever I'm near you," he looked directly into my eyes, "Do you want to? I mean, I understand if you don't or if maybe this is too fast but,"

I cut him off with a chaste kiss while Apparating the two of us back to my flat. It was a nice sized place in Muggle London. I liked Muggle London better than Wizarding London because I could walk down the street in anonymity if I so chose to. It was a modest sized place; I would much rather spend my money on books than frivolities.

He looked around my front room with a small smile, "It fits you."

Draco held his hand out to me and I took it without hesitation. He pulled me to him and placed a soft kiss on my lips, then another and another. My impatience got the better of me and I pulled his head down to where I could reach so that I could kiss him properly. In the privacy of my flat, we allowed our hands to roam a bit more. I moved from his shoulders to his back and I felt his muscles ripple as his hands ran up and down my sides. I lightly ran my nails down his back and he made a low sound in the back of his throat before walking me back towards the door we were standing in front of.

In a moment of boldness I slipped my hand under the front of his shirt to feel the hard muscles beneath. Feeling my confidence go up as he shivered beneath my touch, I pulled his shirt up and he helped me in getting it off. He smirked at me while eyeing my shirt. He reached to the front and ripped the buttons in one powerful stroke.

In shock the only thing I could say was, "I liked that shirt."

He looked at my green lace bra appreciatively, "I'll buy you a new one," before pressing me back against the door.

We moaned at the feeling of skin on skin contact and his hands moved over the front of my torso. I scratched down the front of his chest, earning another moan from him. His hands slithered down to the backs of my thighs and he grasped them once. I jumped up and his arms hooked behind my thighs and he used the door to support the rest of me. At this level he didn't have to bend over to kiss me and I was at the perfect level to cause some much needed friction.

I ground myself against him wantonly and he growled out, "Bedroom."

I nodded and he let me down to lead the way. I walked down the hallway and into my bedroom on the left. I turned and suddenly felt unsure in the intimate setting of my bedroom. I looked down and crossed my arms in front of my chest, feeling exposed. I had completely forgotten about the ugly mark that was now open for the world to see. Draco walked over to me and put his hand under my chin, tilting my head up to look at him.

"Don't hide from me," he took my wrists in his hands and pulled them down to my sides.

"This doesn't bother me," he said trailing a hand across my collarbone to the point where my mark began, "It comes with the territory; you're a war hero and a damn good Auror. No, they're not pretty, but they're proof of the courage we had to go through with what we did. I have scars too, many scars; I was a Death Eater. You don't have to hide anything from me,"he said.

Then he raised one hand and ran his fingers down the line of my scar. I flinched at first, but he continued down the trail of raised skin undeterred. He leaned over me and his lips followed the trail his fingers blazed. I gasped in surprise at the sensitivity of the scar tissue, then threaded my fingers back through his silken hair, pulling his head closer.

I walked backwards until the back of my knees hit the bed. I let myself fall backwards and I pulled him down with me. He caught his weight on his forearms, not allowing himself to crush me. I toed off my shoes and socks while he continued to give attention to my scar. He moved down to the waistband of my jeans and I lifted my hips so he could drag them off me. He stood to remove his shoes and socks, then his slacks. I stared openly at his black silk boxers, there was a tent of considerable size. He cleared his throat and I tore my eyes from his crotch to look up at his face. He was standing with his arms crossed and a raised eyebrow, smirking down at me and looking every bit the Slytherin sex-god he was at school.

I lifted one hand and crooked my finger at him, giving him my best "Come hither" look. He laughed and stalked back to the bed. He crawled over me and hovered above me still smirking. I had a sudden urge to wipe the smirk off his face, so I slipped my hand into the band of his boxers and stroked him firmly once. He dropped his head into the crook of my shoulder with a groan; I couldn't help but feel a little smug. I stroked him a couple more times before slipping my hand out of his boxers. Every stroke had elicited a hiss from him and as I moved away he growled again.

"You shouldn't tease me like that, Hermione," he whispered, nipping at my ear; I whimpered in response.

"Well, why don't you do something about it?"

"See, I would, but there seems to be clothing in the way," he chuckled lightly as he thrust once to emphasize his point.

My eyes rolled to the back of my head for a second, and I reached down to remedy his situation. I pushed his boxers down, and used my feet to finish when I couldn't reach anymore. I tore down my underwear as well. He lined himself up before hesitating; he looked up at me once more as if asking permission. I nodded and he kissed me as he slid home.

He started slowly, but as both our needs increased so did the rhythm. I felt a fire begin to build inside and the ecstasy as the flames went higher was exquisite. I raked my nails down his back and it seemed to drive him to another level. I came to a precipice before flying off the edge into a blinding climax; followed shortly by Draco calling my name.

As we came down from the high, he rolled to the side and pulled me with him to lay across his chest. He stroked my hair, which had turned into a wild mess of curls, while our breathing slowed. I waved my hand and the blankets that had been pushed off the bed floated up to cover us.

"That's an interesting trick, when did you become so skilled in wandless magic?" He asked.

"I realized I could do it a few years ago. It's not a talent that I advertise because I don't want it to be taken advantage of like the rest of me," I answered.

"I won't tell anyone," he promised.

"I know," I murmured as I started to drift off.

A silver light engulfed my room, and I cracked my eyes open and groaned, it was Kingsley's Patronus.

"If he expects us to come back in, he is out of his mind," I ground out.

Kingsley's voice filled the room, "Granger, sometime today could you stop by Malfoy's and tell him that the two of you need to come by tomorrow and fill out paper work. You forgot to mention that you **killed** a man."

"_Finite,"_ I cast, "That's nice."

"Are you going to stop by Malfoy Manor later?" Draco asked sounding suspiciously unsure.

"Why, I'm sure your mom would be happy to see me," I said nonchalantly, "And then there's the Lord of the Manor. I suppose I could go and visit him too."

"Visit? I was thinking more along the lines of staying the night, and possibly the weekend if not longer," he said looking down at me.

"Oh, well I suppose that I could be persuaded to accommodate to those conditions," I responded cheekily.

Draco barked out a laugh, "Six months ago, if someone had told me that this would happen I would have told them that they were barmy. Now, it's not even a leap."

"Who would've thought?" I replied smiling.

**Fin**


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